political advertising

Negative ads work. That’s why political campaigns air them. But these days figuring out who’s funding them can be like unraveling a mystery. And to follow the money you have to unpack and keeping unpacking the PACS.

Neither Oregon nor Washington are presidential election battleground states, so the region's TV viewers have been spared the attendant barrage of campaign commercials. But now the Libertarian presidential ticket is going on the air.

Oregonians won't be voting this fall on whether to limit campaign finance contributions in state and local races. The Oregon Secretary of State's office has rejected wording on a proposed initiative that would have changed the state's Constitution to allow that.

This has been a record setting year in Oregon when it comes to election spending.

A measure that would require food manufacturers and retailers to label genetically engineered foods has eclipsed the previous mark for an Oregon initiative. And it's not the only big bucks ballot measure this year. So where is all that money going?

State lawmakers often work in relative obscurity compared to their Beltway counterparts. But the men and women in Boise, Olympia and Salem frequently vote on bills that have an immediate and direct impact on the lives of everyday people. That's one reason why political parties in the Northwest are working hard this fall to win as many state house seats as possible.

The latest TV ad from same-sex marriage opponents in Washington focuses on school children. It warns “schools could teach that boys could marry boys”. This ad mirrors those that ran in other states when gay marriage came up for a vote. And campaign strategists on both sides agree, it’s been a game changer. KUOW’s Liz Jones takes a closer at the ad’s claims and the track record of this particular strategy.

Ballots go out in Washington and Oregon at the end of this week. Last minute money is pouring into the ballot fight over same-sex marriage in Washington. Those dollars are buying television ads on both sides of the issue. So what claims are the campaigns making?